Microsoft Shut Down Mixer, What Next For Shroud and Ninja?

Microsoft shut down Mixer, its streaming platform and is teaming up with Facebook to shift all their content creators to Facebook Gaming. Streamers will also have the option to move to Twitch if they wish. Big streamers like Shroud, Ninja and TheGrefg have still not decided which platform they will continue using. 

Tweeting out from the official Mixer account, Microsoft announced they were to "close the operations side of Mixer and help the community transition to a new platform." Microsoft has struggled to reach the scale needed for Mixer to compete with Twitch, YouTube, and even Facebook Gaming which has led to the decision to shut down Mixer. 

In the press release, Microsoft said, “the success of Partners and streamers on Mixer is dependent on our ability to scale the platform for them as quickly and broadly as possible.” It became clear that the time needed to grow the community to scale was out of measure with the vision that Microsoft wants to deliver for gamers. So Microsoft shut down Mixer's operations. “To better serve our community’s needs, we’re teaming up with Facebook to enable the Mixer community to transition to Facebook Gaming," Microsoft continued.

(Also Read: TSM Fines ZexRow For Inappropriate Comments Following Ban From Ninja's Fortnite Tournament)

Reasons why Microsoft shut down Mixer

Microsoft’s choice to partner with Facebook Gaming is related to getting a broader audience for its upcoming xCloud game streaming service. This service will allow viewers to immediately play games that people are streaming at a click of a button. It seems very similar to Google’s Stadia, but Microsoft moved on from Mixer because it lacked the scale. 

In an interview with Verge, Microsoft’s head of gaming, Phil Spencer said, “We started pretty far behind, in terms of where Mixer’s monthly active viewers were compared to some of the big players out there. I think the Mixer community is really going to benefit from the broad audience that Facebook has through their properties, and the abilities to reach gamers in a very seamless way through the social platform Facebook has.” 

Since Microsoft shut down Mixer, it is looking to transfer existing Mixer viewers and streamers over to Facebook Gaming in the next few weeks. From here on, all Mixer sites and apps will redirect to Facebook Gaming. All current Mixer Partners will keep their status with Facebook Gaming. Mixer viewers with Ember balances, channel subs and Mixer Pro subs will get Xbox gift card credits. 

Where does this leave streamers like Shroud and Ninja?

Mixer creators are not required to transfer over to Facebook Gaming, they have an option of switching back to Twitch now that Microsoft shut down Mixer. This means big names like Ninja and shroud will have some decision making in the near future as to where they want to continue streaming. Ninja may go back to Twitch, but considering his initial decision of leaving Twitch for Mixer, it seems suspect. 

Regarding this decision, Ninja tweeted out:

Shroud, who removed the link to his Mixer page from Twitter, had a similar reaction

(Also Read: Shroud Says VALORANT is “Much Easier” Than CSGO)

Sources are saying that apparently Facebook tried to negotiate and keep both of Ninja and Shroud, but the streamers chose to opt-out of the move.

Other creators can move to Facebook Gaming, but since Microsoft shut down Mixer so suddenly, it will definitely hurt smaller streamers who have been trying to become big on the platform.